Rotary engine.



No. 708,937. Patented Sept. 9, 902. 1 P. STUDER & P. RUPP.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed. May 31, 1902.)

(No Model.) 4 Shaata8heai I.

WITNESSES: Pei/e7" No. 708,937. Patented Sept. 9, I902.

P. STUDER & P. RUPP.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed May 31', 1902. (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Patented Sept. 9, I902.

P. STUDER & P. RUPP.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed May 31, 1902.)

4 SheetsSheet 4.

(Nd Model.) 7 15.71.

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PETER STUDER AND PETER RUPP, OF WVI'II'IEHOUSE, OHIO.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPEOIFICATIGN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 708,937, dated September 9, 1902.

i Application filed May 31,1902. Serial No. 109,725. (No model.)

To all whom it fitttZ/COTZCGT'HJ Be it known that we, PETER STUpER and PETER RUPP, residing at VVhitehouse, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention more particularly refers to improvements in that type of rotary engines the construction of whichincludesaplurality of annular steam-chambers, a single driveshaft common to both chambers and having. a concentrically-disposed piston-carryin g disk for each chamber, a valve-controlled steaminlet and an outlet for each chamber, a separate abutment for cooperating with each pis' ton-disk, and means controlled by the driveshaft for shifting the abutments controlling the valves and governing the feed of the live steam to the steamchambers.

Our invention in its generic nature comprehends a new and novel arrangement of a casing having two annular steam chambers or cylinders, two disks,-two abutments, a single drive-shaft having means for controlling the shiftable movement of the abutments, and a governor for each valved feed-inlet to the steam-chambers; and in its more subordinate features it consists in certain peculiar detailed arrangement and novel combination of parts, all of which will hereinafter be fully explained, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved rotary engine, the feed -valve devices being adjusted to lead the live steam into the cylinders to rotate the shaft and its piston-carryin g disks in the direction indicated by the arrow at. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the engine on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on theline 3 3 of Fig. 2 lookingin the direction of the arrow b. Fig. 4C is a crosssection, on an enlarged scale, of the upper end of the two cylinders and the steam-chests therefor, taken on the line 4'. 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View on line 5 5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of arrow a, illustrating the governor mechanism. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the same mechanism, showing the position of the parts when the engine is running at excess speed. Fig. 7 is a detail horizontal section taken substantially on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a detail "iew illustrating the correlative arrangement of the drive-shaft, the piston-disks, and the oppositely-disposed pis-' tons.

the cylindrical portion or casing is suitably mounted upon a bed B, supported upon a brick foundation, upon which the bed B is anchored in any suitable manner. The casing comprises a central portion A, having a cylindrical bore a, and head members a a, fastened to the portion A in any suitable manner and curved, as at a), to provide the spaces m to receive the piston disks 1) b, fixedly mounted on or formed integral with the diskhub b they being for conveniently adjusting them secured to the disk-hub b by bolts 19 as clearly shown in Figs. 4, 9, and 10. Upon each end of the casing is mounted an annular enlargement 0, each consisting of two halfsections circumferentially flanged to receive the fastening-bolts and having base-flanges for conveniently connecting them steamtight to the casing, as best shown in Fig. 4, by reference to which it will be noticed each annular enlargement has an inner annular steam-chamber O in line with the annular space in which the pistons rotate and a steamjacket 0 surrounding the chamber O for reasons presently explained.

As will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 4, the peripheral edges of the pistondisks 1) terminate at the bottom of the steamchambers C whereby to provide for snugly fitting the pistons c c, that travel in the chambers O In the present construction we have illustrated each piston-disk provided with a single piston c and these two pistons disposed at diametrically opposite points, as such arrangement of pistons is specially devised for cooperating with the valved steam feed and exhaust mechanisms, hereinafter explained.

To provide for a tight steam-joint between the chambers C and the spaces x, where the necks of the pistons pass over the joint between said chambers and spaces to, the neck portions of the piston-disks are beveled, as at b to receive the triangularshaped metallic packing-rings D, seated in annular grooves c in the casing A, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and to provide for taking up wear the rings cooperate with adjusting screws and springs 0 the screw projecting outside the casing for convenient manipulation.

The steam-jackets are fed by supplemental valved steam-pipes 1O l0, and the said jackets have valved outlets for drawing off the condensed steam and leading same back to the boiler. Each steam-chamber C has an attached steam-chest F, preferably located at the upper end of the casing, and each chest has two ports ff, that com municate with the steam-chamber.

A sliding abutment G is provided for each annular steam-chamber G which cooperates with the twoinlet-ports ff and their respective pistons c, and the said abutment Gr is disposed midway the ports ff", as best shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, from which it will be noticed the abutment G is joined with a frame g, vertically slidable on guideways g, projected horizontally from the casing-top and normally held to its downward or closing position by the spring f At one side each sliding frame has a lateral extension f with which connects a pendent arm f {suitably guided and carrying a roller-bearingf at its lower end, adapted to engage with the cam projections 72. of the lifting-disks H, fixedly mounted on the shaft exteriorlyof the enginecasing and adapted at predetermined intervals to lift the abutment G out of the path of the moving pistons. To provide for a proper impulse of live steam against the shaft alternately from the opposite steam-chambers, the cam-disks H are disposed so their cams h are relatively at diametrically opposite points.

Each steam-chest F has a circular valve receiving casing 5 for each of the ports ff, and in each casing is mounted a semirotatable valve 5, havingachannel-way 5 adapted under one adjustment to alternately open up and close off communication between the steam-chest F and the chamber C Each valve 5 has a stem 5 having a crank member 5, and the crank members of the two cooperating valves project toward each other and are each provided with a pivotally-hung link 5, in turnpivotally joined to a single connecting member 5, that forms a part of a combined reversing and valve-operating means, the construction of which is best understood by referring to Figs. 1, 4, and 7, from which it will be seen the member 5 hasa longitudinal slot 5 in which slides a head 6, horizontally adjustable in a suitable guideway o on the adjacent face of the casing. The head 6 is connected to a rod 6, connected with the shifting lever 6 7 designates a lever pivotallyconnected to the under side of the member 5 centrally thereof, and having vertical movement in the guide-brackets 7 7 and operated by suitable eccentric or cam devices automatically adjustable by the governor mechanism, presently referred to.

So far as described, when the piston and shaft are to be run in the direction indicated the valve-setting mechanism is positioned as shown in Fig. 1, and with the head 6 to the left of the vertical axis of the engine to provide a stationary fulcrum for the member 5 and hold the valve that controls the steamportf to an inoperative position and closing off the steam-chest F from the steam-chamber 0 through port When thus positioned, it ismanifest when the rod 7 is vertically reciprocated, as presently described, the member 5 will rock on the fulcrum 6 and impart a semirotary motion to the valve that controls the portf and open and close said port at predetermined times, the opening occurring when the piston has just passed the port f and the abutment is down to its closure position, the closing occurring just prior to the passing of the piston beyond the exhaust.

Each rod 7 has a special means for automatically reciprocating it at proper times. One set of such means is shown indetail in Figs. 5 and 6 and consists in a disk'8, eccentrically mounted on the abutment-operating disk H and provided with an annular groove 8, with which the roller-bearing 7 of the,

member7engages. The fulcrum of the disk 8 is in the vertical axis or plane of the abutment, and the said disk 8 is also provided with a slot 8 curved on an arc with the fulcru m 8 as the center for the passage of the drive-shaft, which acts as a guide for the swinging or gravitating end of the disk 8. The disk H is also provided with a concentric slot 8, in which plays the stud 9 on the arm 9 of the governor J, which consists of bar 9, slotted at 9 to ride on the drive-shaft in a radial direction. To automatically draw the bar 9 to its inner or normal position, a spring 1 is provided, made fast at oneend to the disk H and at the other end to the arm 9 12 designates a weight on the outer end of thestem 9 of member 9. By reason of the peculiar construction of the'disk 8 and the governor devices joined therewith it is apparent that under normal conditions the disk -8 is positioned relatively to the drive-shaft in such manner as to effect a maximum reciprocal movement of the valve that controls the steam inflow through the port f. Now as the engine speeds up the governor member 9 by centrifugal force moves radially outward,therebycausing the disk 8 to rock, with its axial center toward the drive-shaft, and-inv The pistons c consist of a disk having a laterally-projecting stud-axle 0 adapted to seat in the bearings 13 of brackets 13, fixedly held or integrally formed as an integral part of the disks 1), and said stud-axles are yieldingly held on said bearings by the springs 17 17", as clearly shown in Fig. 3, such position of the disks providing for such slight irregularity of the annular steam-chamber and to maintain a proper correlative arrangement of thesaid disks with the annular bores or chambers 0 and to still further provide for a steam-tight joint between the pistons c and the chambers 0 each piston c has a packingring 14 15 designates a lever for cutting off the steam to the steam-jackets.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is believed the generaloperation and the advantages of our construction of rotary engine will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

By arranging the pistons diametrically opposite and the abutment-operating and steamfeed devices in the manner shown and described it is apparent that should the parts be in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the abutment to the chamber 0 Fig. 3, being closed, the piston beyond the inlet f, and said inlet open, the live steam entering back of the piston by reason of its direct and expansive force impels the piston forward until it reaches a point diametrically opposite that at which it appears in full lines in Fig. 3. When this position occurs, the abutment for the other annular chamber 0 will be closed down and the steam-inlet to said chamber opened to force its piston forward as the steam-inlet tothe first-mentioned chamber C? closes. Thus the shaft will be under an impelling force of live steam at all times and little or no lost motion is incurred by reason of the shifting ofthe abutments and the steamcut-off slides.

While we have shown but two annular.

chambers and piston and steam-feed controlling mechanisms therefor, it is obvious an additional chamber may be provided and the abutments and steam-feed mechanisms be operated under a trihedal actionthat is, shifted at each third of a rotation of the disk in stead of one-half, as shown.

shifting devices, the steam cut-offs, and the single connection joined therewith controlled by the cam on drive-shaft.

Slight changes in the several essential features stated may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-+ 1. A rotary engine, comprising a casing having a plurality of annular steam-chambers, a single drive-shaft, said casing having a central bore, a disk rotatable within the bore, said disk having radial oppositely-disposed pistons, one for each annular chamber, cam devices on the shaft, a sliding abutment and cut-off valve for each annular steam-chamber, a separate means for automatically moving each abutment to its closure position, intermediate connections joining each abutment with one of the cam devices on the shaft, and connections joining the cut-off valve for each annular steam-space with its respective abutment, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

2. In a rotary engine, as described, the combination with the casing, having an annular steam'chamber, circular in cross-section; of a drive-shaft, a piston-carrying member mounted thereon, having a radial bracket, a a piston-disk having a stub-axle, and a spring bearing on the bracket to receive the said disk, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

3. In a rotary engine, as described, the combination with the annular steam-chamber, the steam jackets surrounding the same, the automatically operating abutment, said chamber having a steam-inlet at each side of the abutment, and a single exhaust; a piston operating with, the annular chamber, a valvechest communicating with the inlets, an in dependently operating shifting valve for each inlet, a connection joining both valves, said connection including a rocking member, and a means for changing the fulcrum of said rocking member, whereby to throw one of the valves out of an operative condition, and the other into-an operative condition, and a cam mechanism on the drive-shaft for imparting a motion to the rocking member, for the purposes described.

4:. The combination in a rotary engine of the character described, with the annular steam-chamber, the sliding abutment, means for normally forcing the abutment to a closed position,the annular chamber havinga steaminlet at each side of the abutment, and a single exhaust; a piston operating in the said annular chamber, an independent valve for each inlet for controlling the steam feed therethrough, a cam-disk mounted on the shaft, and connections between the disk and the sliding abutment cooperatively arranged for lifting the abutment, and a second camdisk rotatable with the first cam-disk, and connections joining the second cam-disk with IIO &

the rockable valve-operating member, for the purposes described.

5. In a rotary engine of the character described, the combination with the annular steam-chamber, the automatically-operating sliding abutment, said chamber having an inlet at each side of the abutment; the steamohest common to both inlets, an independent valve for each inlet, mounted in the said chest, a changeable cam-disk connected with the inlet-controlling valves, and a governor mechanism for controlling the changes in the valve-operating camdisk, for the purposes described.

6. Ihe combination with the annularsteamchamber, the piston, the automatically-operating abutment, said piston having a pair of inlets, one at each side of the abutment, a valve-chest communicating therewith, a sep- PETER STUDER. PETER RUPP.

Witnesses:

E. R. SLY, F. A. BUTLER. 

